Savikko Park Sports Complex
The Savikko Park Sports Complex '''is a sports complex and public park located on Douglas Island in Juneau, Alaska, jointly owned and operated by the City of Juneau and the City & Borough of Juneau Parks & Recreation Department. The complex currently consists of Douglas Island Stadium and Union 1 Center. History Plans to redevelop Savikko Park into a sports complex officially surfaced in 2009 when the City of Juneau attempted to purchase seven acres of land on the property in order to build a football stadium that would be home to an expansion team in the North American Football League. The sale was blocked by the City & Borough of Juneau Parks & Recreation Department because the planned stadium called for the Treadwell Ice Arena to be destroyed to make room for the stadium. To combat this, the Parks & Recreation Department agreed to sell the rest of the park to the city in 2011 in order to construct the new Union 1 Center which opened in early 2013. Ground was broken on the new football stadium in July 2011 and construction on the ice arena began in October 2011. The ice arena opened in March 2013 while the stadium opened a year later in April. The community elements of the park officially opened in March 2015 although other elements opened the summer of 2014. In March 2016 the city proposed a roundabout at the end of Savikko Road to provide easier access to the stadium parking garage, boat launch, and U.S. Coast Guard station. Sports Venues Douglas Island Stadium Douglas Island Stadium is the home stadium of FC Juneau of the West Coast Soccer League, University of Alaska Southeast Humpback Whales football team, and will become home to the Juneau Whalers of the North American Football League in 2016. The stadium opened in 2014 and is home to the annual college football Douglas Island Bowl. Union 1 Center Union 1 Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena that opened in 2013. It is home to the Juneau Eagles of the North American Hockey League and the University of Alaska Southeast Humpback Whales men's and women's basketball teams. Proposed expansion Early plans called for the city of Juneau to acquire an additional 5 acres from the parks department located across the street in order to build a third stadium for an undetermined sport. However, after looking into the possibilty, it was revealed that the property would be unable to host a baseball or soccer stadium andit is assumed that plans have been put on hault. There have been talks in 2015 about the construction of an indoor football training facility although it is unclear if this will come to fruition. Park The community park portion of the complex officially opened in Spring 2015 and replaced the original dirt and gravel surface with artificial turf. The park includes two concrete basketball courts, a community football field which will double as a practice facility for the Juneau Whalers, a softball field, a 9-hole disc golf course, and a memorial for Alaska's admission as the 49th state. Tenants '''Douglas Island Stadium *Alaska Southeast Humpback Whales (IPC) *FC Juneau (WCSL) *Juneau Whalers (NAFL) Union 1 Center *Alaska Southeast Humpback Whales (IPC) *Juneau Eagles (NAHL) *Juneau Nighthawks (IFL) (defunct)